Step-by-Step Home Lift Installation Breakdown

You’ve decided that having an elevator for your house would benefit you. You perhaps plan to age in your home, maybe you are finding it difficult to navigate, maybe you are sick of lugging your goods up and down stairs. Whatever your reason, you are ready to press on.

In Metro Manila’s 3 to 5-storey townhouses in BGC, Alabang, Quezon City and Cebu, adding a home lift is now the fastest-growing home improvement among families with ageing parents.

In addition, many people still struggle to find clear answers. They don’t understand what the process consists of. How long does it take, and how much disruption will there be between saying, “I’d like an elevator” and “I am riding it to the second floor”?

The uncertainty can be paralyzing. You imagine months of construction chaos, workers tearing down walls, dust everywhere, and contractors staying in your house indefinitely. Let’s look into it closely.

Step 1: Planning and Preparation (2-8 Weeks)

In the Philippines, Cibes handles the barangay clearance, local building permit and HOA approval for you. The average processing time in Metro Manila is 4–6 weeks.

Before any equipment sets foot in your house, there’s the planning stage. This is where the major decisions come into play.

Home Inspection and Space Assessment

First, someone professional comes to your home to inspect your space. They examine your layout, assess which locations are feasible, consider what’s physically possible, and determine what they can actually accomplish. Where would an elevator installation be feasible? What height are your ceilings? But don’t worry, it’s simpler than you imagine.

Needs Discussion and System Selection

You’ll discuss your needs as well. How many floors? Who’ll use it? Do you require accessibility for wheelchair users? What are your budget considerations? These discussions are significant as they influence whether the kind of system you’ll use suits your needs.

Design Selection

Once you’ve decided to move forward, the design phase begins. This is where you choose all the details: cab size, finishes, door style, control panels, lighting, and flooring.

Think of it like picking options for a new car: wood paneling or modern metal? Standard LED lighting or something fancier? It’s your choice.

Your installer will provide samples and show you options, maybe even use visualization software so you can see what different choices would look like. Now, this is a very important moment, because it is your chance to make the elevator fit your home’s aesthetic.

Permits and Approvals

Here’s the part nobody loves dealing with bureaucracy.

Home elevators require building permits in virtually every jurisdiction. They need to meet safety codes, building regulations, and accessibility standards if applicable.

The good news? Your installer handles almost all of this. They know the local requirements, they submit the paperwork, they coordinate with building departments, they schedule inspections. You’ll need to sign some forms, but you’re not navigating the permit office yourself.

How long this takes depends entirely on your local government.

Step 2: Construction and Installation

Because Cibes lifts are pitless and shaft-included, actual on-site work in most 80–140 sqm townhouses takes only 5-10 working days. No jackhammer, no major structural hacking.

This is the phase where the contractors come, and the actual work begins. This phase worries people the most, but it usually requires less work than the rest.

Site Clearing and Shaft Preparation

First, the team clears the space for the elevator. If it goes into an existing area, such as a closet, they clear it and may tear it out if needed. Otherwise, the new shaft starts here.

In existing constructions, the team may open the walls and cut the floor to create openings between levels. If the installation is outdoors, they build the bump-out tower.

Technical Installation

This is highly technical work. Rails need to be perfectly aligned. Electrical connections have to be done correctly. Safety systems must be installed and tested.

For a typical two-story home lift, the installation itself takes about one to two weeks once the shaft is ready. More floors or more complex systems take longer, maybe three to four weeks for a three-story installation.

Finishing Works

During this phase, you’ll see real progress every day. The rails go up, the cab gets installed, the doors are hung, the controls are wired.

Once the elevator installation process begins, the finishing process begins. Internal finishing, such as your flooring, wall finishes, and lighting, can now be installed. Door trim for the elevator doors gets installed. Paint touch-ups are completed where the walls are opened.

Step 3: Testing, Inspection, and Certification

The elevator is installed, but you can’t use it yet. It needs to be thoroughly tested and officially approved.

System Testing

This means it’s time for system testing.

The installation team tests every component and function. The elevator moves up and down numerous times, halting on every floor. Door sensor testing confirms that the doors never close on people or objects. Testing the emergency components involves the emergency stop buttons, communications, and the power backup.

They check for smooth operation, for proper alignment, for the right speed, and for unusual sounds. They check to see that everything functions as it ought.

Final Inspections

These tests and processes are not instantaneous. They last for several days. They are also where the team teaches you how the controls work and how to react if you detect an unusual situation.

Final electrical and safety inspection and Bureau of Fire Protection clearance are completed within 3-5 days after installation.

And then? You’re done. You’ve got a functioning home elevator.

Timeline Recap

Let’s recap the breakdown with a close-to-reality timeline:

• Planning and Permits: 2-8 weeks (depending on your local government)

• Construction and installation: 2-6 weeks (depending on the complexity)

• Testing & inspection: 1-2 weeks

For simple installation, it would be faster, approximately six to eight weeks. More intricate installations for older residences could be completed in three to four months.

This isn’t six months of work, nor an endless process of construction. This is an orderly process that finishes somewhere. The noisiest, most disruptive phase (site preparation and shaft excavation) takes only one to two weeks. This is the period during which most of the actual building activity occurs.

So, Is It Worth It?

Here’s what makes the whole process worth it: when that final inspection is done, and you can actually use your elevator, everything changes.

You skip the stairs, stop hauling items between floors, and enjoy full access to your entire home as you age.

Two to three months of planning and construction get you decades of easier living. That’s a pretty good trade, isn’t it?

Sometimes the best way to tackle something intimidating is to understand exactly what it involves. Now you know.

FAQ: Home Lift Installation in the Philippines

Q: How long does the whole process take in Metro Manila or Cebu?
A: From contract to first ride: 6-9 weeks on average. Planning & permits 4-6 weeks, actual on-site work 5-10 days, final testing & clearance 3-5 days.

Q: Do I really need permits and barangay clearance?
A: Yes. Every home lift needs barangay clearance + local building permit. Cibes handles 100% of the paperwork and coordination for you.

Q: Will there be a lot of dust and noise in my house?
A: Very little. Cibes lifts are pitless and shaft-included → no jackhammer, no major hacking. Most clients say it’s quieter than a kitchen renovation.

Q: Do I need a deep pit or separate machine room?
A: No. Cibes models only need 0-50 mm recessed floor (or a small ramp) and no machine room. Perfect for existing townhouses.

Q: Can you install in a finished house without destroying walls?
A: Yes. Most of our 2025 installations were retrofits in finished homes. We usually use an existing closet, hallway corner or exterior bump-out.

Q: What if there’s a brownout while someone is inside?
A: Every Cibes lift has automatic battery backup. It safely lowers to the ground floor and opens the doors. Good for 2-3 full trips during outage.

Learn More:

Home Elevator Planning Guide 2025 | Cibes Lift PH

Contact us now to learn more or schedule your installation!

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰!

->: https://lift.cibeslift.com.ph/